1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a speech output device that supports employees in a retailer such as a supermarket or other type of store, to a control method for the speech output device, to a printing device, and to an interface board.
2. Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Appl. Pub. JP-A-H03-91893 teaches a POS system that can output the receipts that are issued for each sales transaction in a retail store in multiple languages. The POS system taught in JP-A-H03-91893 stores a product master file containing product information in one language (typically the language of the country in which the POS system is used), and a category master file containing product category information and the name of each category in plural languages, and when a product label is read with a barcode reader during a normal transaction, extracts the product name from the product master file for printing on the receipt. In other words, because product name information is stored in one language in the product master file, the receipt is printed in the customary language of that country. When a foreign language compatibility mode is selected using an input device, the name of the category of the product captured by the barcode reader in the selected foreign language is extracted from the category master file and printed on the receipt. This enables printing receipts in the language of the customer during transactions with tourists and other foreign language speakers, for example.
With the growing internationalization of commerce and industry in recent years, foreigners are employed in a wide range of occupations. The retail industry, including supermarkets, is no exception, and foreign language speakers are increasingly employed as cashiers to operate the cash registers. The greatest problems faced employing foreign language speakers as cashiers are language related. The system taught in JP-A-H03-91893 can issue receipts in a language that can be understood by the customer when the customer cannot read the local language. However, when it comes to POS system operations, particularly cash register operations, the system is compatible with only one language (such as Japanese), and foreign cashiers must operate the cash register using a language other than their own. More specifically, POS system operations often involve special tasks that are not commonly used and remembering all system operations completely is difficult, particularly when the operation must be learned in an unfamiliar foreign language.
Language problems therefore sometimes result in a severe drop in the accuracy of transaction processes (cash register operations) when foreigners are employed to operate the cash registers. Foreigners are also increasingly employed as kitchen workers in fast food restaurants, for example. Kitchen printers are often used to print customer orders for the kitchen workers, but language problems mean that reading the order may take longer, thus slowing down work and resulting in mistakes filling orders due to reading errors. Promptness is particularly important in stores with drive-through windows, creating strong demand for ways to reduce delays and prevent mistakes.